I am having difficulty engaging the reverse adapter BR-2A all the way to the locking position on my new F80 body. According to a Nikon service rep this adapter should fit, with only manual ops of cause. The detent seems to be a bit further away than the other bayonet lens mounts. May have to "Dremal" it myself. Please help with suggestions.

-- Albert Tang (redragon@sprint.ca), June 18, 2000

Answers

FWIW my BR-2A bayonets onto my manual Nikons (F2, FE, and FM) with no problem. The BR-2A is really meant to go at the end of a bellows or extension tube set. Plugging it straight onto a camera body has a limited application, since you can't focus the lens, and the extension it gives you doesn't really warrant using a reversed lens, unless you use it with really short focal lengths.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), June 19, 2000.

Thanks for your reply Pete. I got this idea from an article in Photozone about reversing the 28-105D I have and getting better distortion results in the corners than the normal macro mode. I did not like the idea of hanging the heavy lens on its front focusing group but curiosity got the better of me. After checking the lens and adapter at work I found out there is a difference between the two male bayonets. The adapter has a 0.25mm higher total height and the distance between lock pin detent and the matching dots of the bayonet is about 15 degrees different, the adapter being further from. This actually brings me to the obvious question, does the F80 have a bayonet female version that is not compatable to bellows, extension tubes? The reviewer on Photozone was using an F801. So only micro lenses can be used with the F80, limiting the close up possibilities. Thanks to any response.

-- Albert Tang (altang@freewwweb.com), June 19, 2000.

That's interesting. I've never compared my BR-2a with a normal lens mount before. Since it fits the manual bodies and extension tubes I have, I just assumed it was the same. I do own an 801s but I'm always a bit wary of trying to fit older accessories onto it, and I try to keep my autofocus kit completely separate from my manual focus stuff.

I'd never thought of using a front-group focussing lens with the BR-2A, it would certainly make it a bit more flexible, but I'm a bit doubtful that the quality of a zoom lens would be very good, even reversed.

To tell the truth, I've hardly used my BR-2A. I bought it together with the rear cable release adapter and a set of tubes, intending to invest in the Nikon bellows unit later on. Instead, I ended up buying a set of M42 Pentax bellows which were extremely easy to adapt to Nikon fit, and using enlarger lenses for macro work.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), June 20, 2000.

Albert,

I would have to dig it out (I have not used the BR-2A in several years) but I do not remember having this problem with mine. I mounted it on an 8008 without any problems. The BR-2A is not an old piece. The BR-2 was redesigned with the AF bodies, to avoid damaging the contacts in the body. This is just like the PK-11 which was redone as the PK-11A.

You should be able to get some very good results with this setup, contrary to what you may have heard. Lens performance should be better than with extension tubes. Interestingly, some moderate performing lenses work better when reversed.

I can't imagine why you would have a problem mounting this on an F80. Do you have another body to try it on?

-- Ed Farmer (photography2k@hotmail.com), June 20, 2000.

Thanks guys for your ideas. There is surely differences between the 2 lens bayonet, on 28-105D and 70-210D, to the adapter bayonet. The length of the 3 lobes are different and when I place the adapter on the F80 body there is a gap even when the adapter is pressed down. I need to do some careful measurements. It sounds very interesting about the Pentax bellow kit, Pete, would you mind I email you questions reguarding that? The Nikon set is over $500 Canadian. I do not have a second body Ed to check, in fact I am just getting back into SLR after 20 years absent from serious photography, starting a family that is. Last time I was doing Cibachrome on my 4x5 color enlarger, do they still use that? Things have surely changed since. I kept my old trusty Linhof Technika II that shot nice close ups with its triple extension rail. I am interested in doing closeups with the Nikon, more portable than the ...! I appreciate any help. Thanks.

-- Albert Tang (altang@freewwweb.com), June 21, 2000.

Hi Albert, Cibachrome is now called Ilfochrome, and it's probably slightly different these days from 20 years ago. I think they managed to take some of the smell out of the chemicals a while ago. And no, I don't mind at all if you e-mail me direct.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), June 21, 2000.

Hi guys took me long enough but I got it working. I had seen these 2 small screws sticking out on the bayonet adapter but there is only 1 on the D lenses. I had access to a Nikon F female bayonet and was able to see the fit from all sides. I discovered that the screw closer to the BR2A dot stopped the adapter from turning to the pin lock location. After carefully removing it, the adapter now fits in all 3 positions. A word of caution if anyone wants to try this, the screw is tight because of the flat black paint they sprayed in the inside baffle. Use a #00 Philips screw driver, maintain constant pressure to get full driver contact, be patient until the locking force give way. Stripping the screw head will cause trouble - have to grind or cut the screw head off. Thanks guys . I will try to email Pete and pick on his experience.

-- Albert Tang (altang@freewwweb.com), June 22, 2000.

Did I miss something ???? The F80 can not meter with something non-AF, thought that would make this set-up quite useless ???

-- siegfried (boes@first.gmd.de), July 27, 2000.